madcougar

I thought most networks ran classic holiday fare on Thanksgiving and not new episodes of their shows.

My Other Self

I was wondering the same thing. When I saw ads during football yesterday I was kind of surprised.

DRG

This isn't a new thing for CBS. I remember one Thanksgiving they had new episodes of Survivor and CSI, back when CSI was still a hot show.

DJariya

Because they aren't mailing it in on a Holiday and want to counter program NBC NFL Football with new original episodes of their Thursday shows.

emachine12

Which caters to the group of people who would rather cozy up on a couch & watch TV instead of stand in a line on a cold evening waiting to buy things.

Some people just don't watch football so having new programming draws them from other lazy networks.

bluetoast

I remember Friends having a new Brad Pitt episode on Thanksgiving 2001, but that was a bigger deal at the time. Obviously that's NBC, but same general idea.

PhantomStranger

Bingo, it's called counterprogramming. CBS understands their older audience for the most part.

Patman

Or most likely CBS is playing catch-up with their Thursday shows due to the 8 weeks of NFL games earlier this fall.

Count Dooku

This. Combined with the realization that people don't stop watching TV just cuz it is T-day.

madcougar

No skin off my back since I don't watch live television anymore, but it seemed unusual to me.

majorjoe23

It kind of surprises me the number of cable shows that are skipping shows this week. I could understand if it's a Thursday show, but FX is skipping Sons of Anarchy and American Horror Story (Tuesday and Wednesday) and Showtime isn't airing Homeland and The Affair Sunday.

PhantomStranger

So many people travel on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Goat3001

I, for one, disapprove of CBS' war on Thanksgiving.

Spiderbite

Oh shit. Fox News' talking heads just exploded.

Eddie W

So they skip the shows this week in case the viewing public forgets to set their betamax recorders? I guess I don't get why so many networks base their programming decisions as if people really watch TV shows when they air.

JeffTheAlpaca

It won't matter since they will be NBC's bitch and 49ers vs Seahawks will triple the ratings of those CBS shows!

writer106

During the first season of American Horror Story, they did air an episode on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. But back then they scheduled all 12 episodes to air consecutively.

I remember back in the 90s, FOX used to air new episodes of Wednesday shows before Thanksgiving.

Count Dooku

Because the programming exists to get people to watch the commercials.

madcougar

Tripple? I will take that action!

hdnmickey

Same here. As long as the DVR doesn't take the night off, I'm good.

fumanstan

Well they're not airing Big Bang Theory it seems...

davidh777

CBS's demographic would seem to lend itself to family TV watching on the holiday.